Finding Love
by Dr. Eminem
Summary: J. Bauer left L.A. after the Salazar operation went bad. Now living in a small town in the middle of the United States he runs into trouble, but he also runs into somethein he thought he could never have. Will he find love or will he find only sorrow.
1. First Dates Suck Monkey Balls

**CHAPTER 1: Blind Dates Suck Monkey Balls**

It was another failed blind date, how many single men could be left in the town, she thought taking a sip of her expensive wine. It seems every date gets cheesier than the last. Her mother set her up with this one, he was an upstanding republican who had his eye on a seat in the state legislature and on her breast. He was a decent guy, considering all guys obsessed about breast, who like most men his age was stuck on himself and even more so since he was a republican. She heard everything about his plans in the first ten minutes of the date and the past hour had been a review session of those plans as if they had changed in the short of a time. She got a free supper and a night to feel like a woman again and not a mother. There was a difference and she had never known there had been until she became a single mother. She had wanted to come to this restaurant some time and try the food so she couldn't complain about the person who get her there. What he was talking to her?

"You there." The man said kindly, "I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me to grab a night cap at a bar next door?"

"Sure." She needed something strong after this date, why not take it a little farther she hadn't gotten a nice meal like this in awhile and if her mind had not been consumed by work he might have been semi-interesting. He was a kind man even if he was stuck on himself and her breast. And now that she was to old to admit to herself her age, should she just fine the best man and settle with him with the hope that her ex-husband would finally see that it was over, she would never take him back. He daughter needed to understand love did exist even if her mother had not been able to find it. She didn't want her daughter, at her age now to become the bitter woman, like her mother was. Now to Lisa love was a for letter word she stopped looking for just after she found her husband with her best friend in their bedroom, with her than six year old daughter playing in the next room.

She got up and put her coat on over her short black dress. She loved the way the dress made her hips and butt look in it. Black was a slimming color that always made her feel sexy. It was the color she could wear the same exact dress in a different color and not feel the same way she did. She looked almost like she had a petite figure in the dress. She walked out of the restaurant with the man and the block to the bar. They were in downtown Peoria.

Peoria was not a small city, but it wasn't a big one. It was a nice size to have some variety, but not big enough to have anything worth wild. She walked into the smoky bar with the man who's name she hadn't remembered. Would that be a problem she didn't even know his name and she had been on a date with him for an hour now? She was horrible when it came to remembering names, and she found it to not be too bad because she remembered the names that she had to.

He ordered them drinks, another thing that got on her nerves he was so arrogant that he ordered for the both of them. That had been one of her pet peeves with her ex-husband he always ordered for them, what was so wrong with a woman ordering her own food?

She sipped her drink, and than saw him moving his arm towards her bare leg. She swiveled in her chair thinking, keep dreaming buddy. She finished her drink and looked at her watch it was nine her daughter would be waiting for her to get home to hear another postmortem.

"I really have to get home. Tonight was lovely thank you."

"What's the rush?" The man asked.

"My daughter, Elizabeth is home alone." She said getting up smiling at the look of shock when she mentioned her teenage daughter. Every man seemed to be afraid of a child, every time she brought Elizabeth up the man freaked out and that usually ended the date.

He didn't offer to call again and she was happy she wouldn't have to screen her phone calls. She smiled as she walked out of the bar. Where did she park her car? Shit it was still all the way down at of Main St. by the river. She'd have to walk the six blocks to her car. Walking down the unpopulated street seemed a bit creepy she began to wish that she would have made the date on a normal Friday, when the streets of downtown Peoria were more populated, instead of a Tuesday night when the streets were dead.

She reached in her purse and grabbed her keys and maze out. She hated walking down the dark road alone, but she wasn't about ready to ask him to walk her to the car either. She was halfway there when a man came running up to her. She turned around and sprayed him in the face with the maze. While he was still stunned by the masce she kicked him in the groin punching him in the face as he fell to the ground with a groan.

"You dropped your wallet!" The man said his voice holding a high pitch. He never once reached up at his eyes to clean out the mace, like most attackers would not knowing it would only make it worse. The man cringed in pain she had a hard kick, and a nice punch he thought as he stood up. He knew he'd have a bruise on his face, but besides the monumental pain of being kicked in the groin he was fine.

"Oh god I'm so sorry." She said feeing stupid for attacking him.

"It's ok I shouldn't have run up on you like that." The man said his eyes burning and he could barely see through the blurred vision. He smiled at her even though it was clear he was in pain, and as quick as he came he left again limping away towards the alley behind the bar.

She called to him, "I'm really sorry."

When he diapered down the alley she assumed into a bar, there seemed to be at least fifty of them on downtown Main St. she saw his wallet on the ground. She picked it up and walked towards the bar through the front door rather than the alley entrance. She looked around in the inside not finding him. Where could he have gone? She didn't just want to leave his wallet on the ground or with someone. She would have to try to find him tomorrow she needed to get home.

She walked to her car once she was inside she locked the doors and she opened the wallet and looked for the licenses. She found it, shit he was from California what the hell was he doing in Peoria? How in the hell was she going to find him now? She put the wallet in the seat beside her, forgetting about it nothing she could do now. She drove home smiling thinking about the unknown man. He seemed really kind, most people would have jut kept her wallet, but he actually ran up to her and gave it back. He was even kind after she attacked him really for no reason.

She pulled into her small neighborhood she had lived in almost her entire life. She left it for college and had stayed away after she meant her ex-husband. They had lived in L.A. but thing went sour and she left to go back home to Peoria. He followed closely behind never one to give up even after someone had given up on him. She bought the house down the street from her mothers house that was on the corner. Her mother was happy she was back in town and she helped her with the than little Elizabeth. Her asshole husband never really wanted to have much to do with their daughter until the divorce than that was all he wanted. Lisa believed in her heart, as much as she hated to, that the only reason he wanted something to do with Liz now was because he could see Lisa in the process. She knew she was blessed to have her mother to help her because she was able to reset up her career in Peoria. She was a now a respected distract attorney. It was a change at first when she got to town going from a high publicity major law firm lawyer in Los Angeles to being a small town distract attorney, if not just for the big town to the small town mentality the pay changed.

As she walked into her house she almost tripped over Liz's shoes "Elizabeth pick your shoes up. How many times do I have to tell you that we don't leave our shoes at the back door?"

"Sorry mom" Liz said sarcastically. She was a younger version of her mother, at least that was what everyone said. Liz was not fond of that observation, but no teenager was ever enthusiastic about looking like their parents. She grabbed her shoes and asked, "So how did it go?"

"Like the rest." Her mom said with a smile. "But something interesting did happen. I was walking to my car and this blonde guy comes running up to me. I thought he was going to attack me so I sprayed him with mace and than kicked him trying to incapacitate him. He was just trying to give me my wallet back I must have dropped when I pulled out my keys."

"You didn't mom?" Liz said horrified for a mother. Liz was a sixteen year old who was very intelligent. She was in all advance placement courses in her high school, and she maintained an A average if she would have tried a little she probably could have a 4.0 GPA, but she was a slacker at heart. She wasn't a preppy teenager she enjoyed her black clothes, but she also enjoyed dressing up occasionally. Her hair was cut short like her mothers. "Mom how are you ever going to get a man when you attack them?"

Liz would be happy if her mother never found a man. She knew what had transpired between her parents years ago, and she hated her father for it. He was still doing it now trying to run her mothers life and sleeping with anything that wasn't a man. "Mom when are you going to let me go get my licenses? Everyone else already has theirs. It's not fair." Liz hoped maybe was a good time to bother her mom with her feeling bad about attacking some unsuspecting stranger.

"Liz you will thank me one day for making you wait awhile." Lisa said walking into the bedroom to get out of her clothes.

"But mom it's so not fair. You could at least take me driving sometimes."

"Liz I'll think about it. Did you clean your room and get the laundry done?"

"Yes." Liz said with a sigh she knew her mom and she wouldn't get her licenses until she was eighteen probably.

"Did you get your homework done? I ran into Mr. Quaker earlier today and he told me that you didn't turn in a paper for him on Hamlet."

"He would just have given me a B and say I should work harder on the paper. I could spend a week on it and it's never good enough for him. And really what is there to say about Hamlet? He's a pussy who can't make his mind up so he acts crazy? Was he on drugs or what?" Liz said smiling she hated Hamlet she was more of a Macbeth person.

"What are you reading now?" Her mom asked this was the typical parent needs to know about child's life so ask a few questions to act like you care.

"Pride and Prejudice. Not to bad, I really like the Darcy guy and everyone else thinks I'm crazy for liking him. He acts stuck up, but he really isn't like that, he's just afraid of being himself."

"Very observant what makes you think that Liz?" Lisa asked smiling she had thought the same thing about him when she read the book. Liz had a lot in common with her mom, Lisa hoped not the disdain for love.

"Just the way he is. I think he is the strong and silent type that needs a little push." Liz smiled at her mom, "Can we rent the movie this weekend?"

"Will you have finished the book?" Lisa knew Liz just wanted to watch the movie so she didn't have to read the book. She did it to her once already doing it with Romeo and Juliet and the little sneak got an A on her paper only having seen the Leonardo film.

"um Sure." Liz said smiling she knew her mom had her.

"After you take the test we'll rent it. Now go to bed it's late."

"Mom it's only 9:30 it's not late."

"Fine go to your room than give me some peace lady."

"Night." She said hugging her mom before rushing off to her room to blast whatever music she was listening to that week.

Lisa walked down the hallway to her small bedroom. She sat on the bed exhausted from the days work. She had ten court cases going on at once. Most of them were gang related crimes, which made it extremely hard because most people did not want to come up and speak out against the gangs. She didn't blame them most of the police in Peoria were less than par, and the gangs ran the south end of town.

She sat on her bed with her boxer shorts and tank on. She grabbed her laptop and looked over the case information for the trail that would start in a few days. She reviewed all the information from witness reports to evidence reports and made a few more notes. She looked at the clock it was now 1 a.m. she had to be up by six. Where did the time go? She turned her laptop off and placed it back on the bed side stand. She turned the light off and curled up in her queen size bed. She hated sleeping in the big bed alone, it always made her feel extremely alone. She tried to put pillows in the bed with her, but that never worked. She always toyed with the idea of getting a new bed, but she always held out on the hope that she would find someone to share it with, and she loved the bed she had now. She would be damned if she got rid of the one possession left from her marriage that she loved. She thought about the blonde man as she drifted off to sleep. He seemed nice and he wasn't from Peoria, which held some hope for him.


	2. Finding the Stranger

**CHAPTER 2: FINDING STRANGER**

Lisa awoke to the alarm clocking going off. She smacked the snooze button hoping to sleep longer, but soon the cat was in the room begging for food. He was a relentless bastard. If he didn't wake you with his constant meows he would take the blanket in his teeth and pull it away off you, and than start nudging you with his head possibly thinking he could actually push you out of the bed.

After pulling the covers off her he was getting ready to nudge her head. "Ok Oreo I'm getting up." She got out of the bed and made her way down the hallway to where the cat's dish was. She poured the dry food in and walked to her daughters room, "Liz get up."

"Uh." Liz answered pulling the pillow over her head.

"Elizabeth get out of bed. If you miss the bus today you are walking to school." Lisa made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. She got in and was welcomed by the warm water. She walked out to the kitchen to grab her morning muffin and found her daughter at the table eating lucky charms, "aren't you a little old for those Elizabeth?"

"NO!" Liz answered devouring a mouth full of Lucky Charms.

"Don't be late to school today. I got to go to work." Lisa kissed her daughter on the head and walked out to her 2004 Ford Mustang, she had indulged herself in her dream car that year. She drove off to work when she looked in the passenger seat she saw the wallet again, shit she had to find that man, she had forgotten about the wallet, but not the man. His face still ran through her mind, she would admit he was very handsome in a rugged Mr. Darcy type of way.

She waved at the parking attendant as she drove into the garage parking her car on the first floor and walking inside of the building. She missed the big city sometimes, but never in the morning when she drove to work, it was still dead in the streets and there was always a parking space on the first floor of the parking garage. She made her way to her office the wallet in one hand and her briefcase and purse in the other. She set her briefcase on her desk and walked across the building to where a unit of police that were assigned to the district attorneys office were housed.

She walked in smiling at the only man in the room. "Good Morning Mark."

"Morning Lisa. Work for me already?"

"Sort of. Last night I was walking to my car when this guy came running up."

"Your purse wasn't stolen was it?" Mark said he had always been a nice friend, but nothing more. Sometimes Lisa thought he wanted more, but she couldn't see herself with him. He was more of a friend than someone to be with.

"No actually I dropped my wallet and the guy was bringing it to me. Well I thought he was going to attack me so I used those moves you showed me after I sprayed him with mace. He must have lost his wallet when he hit the ground because I found it there after he took off. I tried to find him, but couldn't and I still have his wallet. He has a California drivers licenses so I can't find him that way. Can you help me so I can thank him and say I'm sorry again, and of course get his wallet back to him."

"Sure you got it?" Mark asked.

"Here. I checked his name is Jack Bauer."

"I'll search for him. If I find him I'll get you an address and phone number if you want?"

"Please thank you."

"No problem. You wanna go for a drink after work?"

"Can't Liz has a drill meet tonight and I have to be there for it or she'll get bent out of proportion."

"She's in JROTC?"

"Yeah she's the commander of the Color Guard and very proud of it. It's her first competition tonight."

"Wish her luck for me. She's at Central right?"

"Yeah. I had better get to work. Talk to you later and thank you for the help." Lisa walked out of the office almost sure she'd see Mark tonight at the meet. Why were men she wasn't attracted to always attracted to her and why couldn't they take a clue. Why wasn't she ever attracted to the nice guys, like Mark. He would do anything for her if she asked for him too.

It was around lunch time and Lisa had gotten three more cases, and a phone call from her daughters Colonel who wanted to talk to her about Elizabeth. She was planning on having lunch in the office when Mark knocked on her door.

"I found your man. Jack Bauer from California. Real funny character. I got a last known address and it was the same on his licenses. I called a FBI friend of mine out there because I couldn't find anything else on the man. No work record or proof of paying taxes outside of his property tax."

"That's weird. Did your friend help you?" Lisa was intrigued by the strangeness.

"Yeah. He knew the man by name. I guess he's sort of a hot topic among the higher-ups in L.A. You want to know more about him?"

"What do you have? You have my undivided attention."

Mark sat in the spare chair, "So you like him?"

"No just interested in how he has no record."

"He was formally of the Counter Terrorism Unit. At one time he had been the director of the L.A. branch."

"What is the Counter Terrorism Unit?" She asked but the name seemed familiar, "Wait it's not the unit that brought down the Salazar Cartel last year, and than stopped the virus attack?"

"That's them. Word is your man Jack Bauer had a lot to do with it. He was the man that was undercover with the Salazars, and brought Ramon Salazar in on his own. Hence the reason no real record, it's all classified information."

"Interesting what is the director doing undercover missions, and why would CTU be interested in a cartel?"

"First question. He was no longer the main director. He was working Field Operations, my friend wasn't really giving in that area of how he got demoted or why he no longer works for CTU. Second question they were interested in the cartel because it was moving into the world of terrorism supplies. They were looking to start gun running and other colorful jobs. CTU wanted to stop it before they got into the work, and possibly bring a few cells down while they were at it."

"Ok. Anything else?"

"Nope. I got his local address. My friend called someone who actually knew Jack and they had the forwarding address for him. Once I told the person I found his wallet and wanted to get it back to him they happily gave me the address."

"Which is?" Lisa asked.

"1415 Stevers."

"That's just down the street from my house. I don't remember a moving truck at all recently. Did you find out how long?"

"About two months according to the owner. I called him to make sure that he did in fact have a tenant named Jack Bauer. Who is now worried his tenant is a felon which I assured him he was not, that it was a simple inquiry because he was a witness."

"Thank you Mark. CTU isn't that the CIA?."

"Yeah. Why?"

"Funny he didn't look like a CIA man."

"What does a CIA man look like?" Mark asked smiling.

"I don't know scary Bond look alike. I don't know. He just didn't seem up tight." Lisa said feeling stupid for making the observation.

"Well I emailed you, incase you forget before you leave today, the exact address so you can return the wallet." He threw the wallet over to her and she caught it.

"Thanks."

Lisa spent the rest of her work day wondering about her new neighbor. He really wasn't a new neighbor, yet she had never noticed him before and she had run by that house countless times on her weekend runs. She began to wonder about him what would drawl a man like that to a small town like Peoria, why did he leave CTU and the CIA? She was more than intrigued now. There was more there and she wasn't sure how to get it just yet. Asking him wasn't an option it would seem like she was interested, but was she interested? He had a cute look about him that kept in her mind, even after she had been mortified because of her actions. He seemed nice enough, maybe she would offer a supper to make up for macing him and kicking him in the balls. One problem, she wasn't a great cook. Maybe take out food.

She finished up a few notes on the new case files and made her way to the parking deck. She drove by the school to talk to the Colonel and pick up her daughter. She was outside the JROTC unit when her cell phone rang, "Hello" She answered not noticing the number.

"When is the meet tonight?" Her ex-husbands gruff voice asked.

"Six. Are you going to show up? It is her first commanding one, she's been bothering me about whether or not you would show up."

"I'll try to get there. I have to finish some paper work."

"Please try Dave."

"Are you going to have your boyfriend there?"

"It's none of your business, but I don't have a boyfriend." She said angrily she couldn't out run him because he always ended up following and she refused to give up her career again because of him.

"Elizabeth told me about the man you were out with last night."

"That is none of your business, what I do or don't do." She wanted to hang up the phone, but she knew she had to play nice otherwise he would act like a big baby and not show up to the meet tonight.

"So you are just sleeping around now?"

"Dave please show up to the meet tonight for your daughter. She wants you there."

"Do you want me there?"

"Dave don't do this. We are over. You should have thought about me when you slept with my best friend. Now if you don't mind I need to go speak to Colonel Anderson about our daughter." She hung the phone up and turned it off. She hated when it rang and she was talking with someone.

She walked up to the open garage door. The JROTC Unit was in the old garage of the school where shop had once been held. Inside the floor was hard cement. But the big room had been nicely decorated with the Units trophies on two tables under the stairs that led from the school into the unit. There was a cadet lounge with a couch that was old and warn. Lisa had promised her daughter to donate their couch as soon as she found one to replace it. But the cadet lounge was a homey place in the unit for the cadet to hang out and it was always filled with cadets. The room was split in three main parts. One part the cadet lounge, the other was the Sgt Dansizen's class room, and the back part a small area for the cadet to practice when it was to cold outside and no room in the school.

The Colonel was sitting in the Cadet lounge talking with Liz about college. He had been a godsend always there talking to Liz urging her to do her best in and out of the Unit. She knew her daughter respected the man more than any man she had ever known. The Colonel had been a God to her, and it helped he had been a police officer at one time, something Liz toyed with doing one day.

"Hello Ms. Showalter." The Colonel said standing up and smiling. He was an older man, probably late fifties early sixties.

"Hello Colonel." Lisa said smiling back at him and sitting in a free chair.

"Liz why don't you leave us for a bit. Go check and see if all of the equipment is pulled for tonight."

"Yes sir." Liz said getting up and hurrying away.

"I'm sorry if I pulled you from work." The Colonel said being polite.

"Oh no sir."

"I just wanted to tell you what a great job Liz has been doing. She's a natural born leader. I have seen few of those go through here, but she is great with all of the cadets, and very ambitious. She's a keeper I can tell you that. She's a little nervous about tonight, but she'll do great. Will you be there?"

"Of course sir." Lisa was always a bit uncomfortable talking to the man who wielded so much respect because of his rank in the Air Force even if he had been retired for over twenty years.

"Please call me Thomas. I'm glad to hear it. You have raised her well."

"Thank you Thomas."

"The major reason I wanted to talk to you was because the Unit is thinking about going back to the national. I think we finally have a team worth taking. Liz's team is doing a great job, and we want to take them. It's in Florida though, and we would miss a week of school and the cost to fly and room and board would have to be made up somehow."

Something Lisa could finally do to help, "Well sir don't worry about that. If you think the team is worth taking we can do a fund raiser." Lisa racked her brain for stuff they could do to earn money. The community was on a patriotic high at the moment because of the events of the past few years.

"Oh no we couldn't ask."

"Sir I would love to do this. My daughter loves this unit, it is a second home to her. It's nothing really. We can rent the I-2 hall and have a dinner with entertainment from the color guard, drill team, saber team, and honor guard. The kids could get involved that way and show their talent. Donations can be made on top of the meal charges. Charge a few dollars over the meal, for a fund raiser. The honor guard could be the waiters and waitress." Lisa knew all about the teams because he daughter insisted on being on all of them.

"Would people come to that though?"

"Of course they would sir. The kid's can make some signs I'll use my connections in town to get it on the news and in newspapers. They could even go door to door and sell tickets to the meal."

"That would be wonderful." The Colonel was shocked by the mothers willingness to help out he did not expect that. He just wanted to make sure that she would be willing to let her daughter go down to Florida.

"I'll work on it some and have my secretary call you with more details by the end of this week."

"Thank you very much. I see where Liz gets it from now." The colonel said smiling.

Liz came out and smiled she heard what they had talked about and she was happy her mom was willing to let her go and help with the funding.

"Well I better let you two get home. Someone has a uniform to get ready."

"Bye Sir. See you tonight." Liz said walking out to the car.

"Good by Colonel." Lisa called as the door closed behind her.

Once she got in the car she could see her daughter smiling ear to ear. "Mom thank you for all of that in there."

"Liz it's nothing. I've done millions of fundraisers just not many in Peoria."

"Did you find the owner of the wallet?"

"He lives down the street from us. I'll drop it by on our way home." Lisa smiled ear to ear at the thought of seeing the intriguing man again.

"What's for supper?"

"You really want to eat before the meet?"

"No." Liz said laughing she was already nervous. She could fill her stomach rolling, and her body tense to the point her shoulders hurt.

"You ok kiddo?"

"Yeah mom. Just nervous."

"I'm positive you'll do a great job. You've been practicing the routine for how long?"

"Months."

"You'll breeze right through it and shock those judges."

"I hope. Colonel was telling me the team never loses must the leader, but the team always wins. I don't want to be the reason we lost."

"Even if you don't win first place you still are a winner. You are doing something that takes a lot of talent, and leading them out there takes a lot of guts too. I'm proud of you either way, but I'm positive you'll win a trophy."

"I hope I don't want to let the Unit down. We haven't won at Lincolns Quest for since we started it two years ago."

"You'll do fine. Wait here." Lisa was nervous herself she was outside the mysterious Jack Bauer's house.

"Is this his house. Why haven't we ever seen him?" Liz called from the car.

Lisa walked up to the door there wasn't a car in the driveway. She could hear the music from the neighbors house as she knocked on the door not sure if the doorbell worked. She waited a few minutes and when no answer came she knocked once more and than left keeping the wallet she would just have to catch him at another time.


	3. Pre Meet

**CHAPTER 3: THE PRE-MEET**

He had been working almost an hour helping his friend Colonel Anderson set up for the drill competition that night. The Colonel called Jack right after he got out of rehab and asked him for a favor. Jack owed the Colonel a lot more than a little favor the man had saved Jack's life on more than one occasion.

The Colonel hadn't told Jack yet what he wanted. He helped Jack find a house to stay in and than told him to just get comfortable for awhile. Jack asked him multiple times about the favor, but each time the Colonel just told him to have patience in due time.

One day the Colonel called Jack again and asked him to come to a meet and help it set up afterwards they could talk about what he needed help with. It surprised Jack to learn the Colonel was teaching JROTC, it just wasn't something he had ever thought the man would do. But than the Colonel was a man of many trades. Jack finished setting the last row of chairs up. His face hurt where the woman had punched him in the face.

The Colonel walked up not late, but not on time. "Hey Jack thanks for the help."

"Sure." Jack said they both knew the Colonel tormented him into helping.

"What happened to your face?" Thomas asked seeing the huge bruise on the side of Jack's face.

"Nothing. The woman in this town aren't much different from L.A."

"No they are not." Thomas laughed. It was nice to see Jack in good spirits. He meant Jack the day he flew a helicopter in to pick up the sole survivor of a mission. Thomas meant up with Jack again in L.A. when he was working with the L.A.P.D. Jack went to Thomas's wedding with Teri, but shortly after Thomas learned of their separation. Thomas and his new wife Mia went to Teri's funeral. Thomas had seen something had changed in Jack. He knew Jack was no longer working for CTU but no one really knew why. None of his contacts in L.A.P.D. had a clue why Jack left or was fried depending on who he talked to. Jack would tell him in his own time and if not than Thomas didn't need to know, he would not press his friend for that information.

"Anything else you need done sir?" Jack asked after he had all the chairs set up.

"I need a judge but I doubt I can get you to do that. Why don't you stay for the meet see what goes on and maybe I can recruit you to help us sometimes." The Colonel was keeping a cover he didn't want anyone to know he asked Jack there. The story was that Jack showed up in town and the Colonel tormented him into helping. "I need an outside eye, especially if I'm going to take them to the nationals. I've got so much faith in these kids I don't always see the wrongs."

"Sure. I probably could make a few practices for you." Jack knew Thomas was up to something asking him to come to practice could be a cover for whatever else he wanted help with. Whatever it was it was heavy otherwise Thomas wouldn't be taking all this precaution.

"That's good Jack." Thomas said looking over Jack's shoulder as he saw his star walk in.

Liz walked in with her mom. Lisa was so proud of her daughter she looked grown up in her uniform neatly pressed unlike most of her other wrinkled clothes. Lis rushed over to the Colonel, her nerves acting up. Her mind tormenting her as she ran over the routine commands over and over in hopes of not forgetting them as soon as she got on the drill pad.

"Liz you ready?"

"Yes sir." Liz voice held the note of the nerves that were threatening to make her run away.

"Don't sound ready." Thomas smiled at her, "You'll do fine. Liz why don't you take my good friend Jack to get a soda in the unit and Jack can help you with those nerves, and carry stuff up at the same time."

Jack smiled yeah he could help her with the nerves by telling her to run now. He followed her down the unit watching her march in the Air Force regulations 20 inch steps, with crisp turns around the corners. He studied the school it clearly was a public school the lockers a maroon color, and the tile floor scuffed. She led him through a small cemented loading dock area towards the old shop class, Jack assumed.

"Sir."

"It's Jack." Jack said he hated being called sir anymore.

"Jack how do you know the Colonel if you don't mind me asking? Were you in the Air Force with him?"

"No I was in the Army the Colonel helped me out once."

"Cool."

"Hey don't worry about the meet." Jack felt like he should help the young girl somehow she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "When you get out on the start line take ten deep breaths and slow your heart rate down." So he was using what he learned to shot a sniper rifle it was almost a similar situation. "Don't start until the thumping in your ears stops from your heart pumping the extra blood through your arteries because of the nervous reaction. Once that pass's go with it."

"Ok I'll try. Where you a commander or something?"

"Or something." Jack answered. He grabbed a bottle of water and three rifles slung over his shoulders, and two flags in their cases he carried them up while the young girl carried the harness that the flag carriers carried the flags in, and the other rifles. When they got up to the foyer that served as the drill area the Colonel was talking to a woman who had her back turned to Jack.

Jack though just from the back shot that she had to be a beautiful woman, he pushed it out of his mind it was no time to be looking at women he wasn't ready for that yet. He walked over to the staging area set up for the Central students. Each school had a classroom that was called the staging area. In this area they could fix uniforms, change, and do whatever else they wanted. Jack set the stuff down and wished the girl luck.

The Colonel was walking up the three steps that led into what the sign above the large open doorway, big enough to fit at least five people through at once, said Science Wing. "Jack I'd like you to meet Liz's mother" He didn't get to finish when Lisa almost squealed.

"We already meant Colonel." Jack said with a chuckle.

"And how is that Jack?" the Colonel asked he knew Jack was on the same street as Lisa, but Jack had never mentioned meeting anyone or talking to anyone but the landlord for that matter. By the look of Lisa and her getting ready to apologize, "The different than L.A. women?"

Jack smiled at the Colonel who was almost ready to laugh.

"I'm so sorry about that." Lisa saw the bruise from where she decked him.

"Oh don't worry Jack here has a hard head. I should thank you I've been meaning to beat some sense into him." Thomas said almost in tears from laughing so hard.

"I am sorry."

"Don't be." Jack said smiling.

"Oh I got your wallet it's at my house."

"Huh?" Thomas said looking at Jack wearily.

"When I attacked him he lost it. I guess when he fell."

"Sure likely story." Thomas said laughing.

"If you want I can drop it by tomorrow?"

"Um sure." Jack said giving her his address.

"That's just down the street from me." Lisa didn't want the stranger to know that she used some resources and knows more about him than he would expect. "I better get in there and see how Liz is doing. When are the other kids arriving?"

"Better be soon." Thomas said walking with Lisa motioning for Jack to follow.

Liz came out fully ready for the grand opening ceremony where she would lead a integrated color guard, one that consist of not only Air Force Cadets, but army, navy and marines. "Sir do you mind if I go through this one time by myself?"

"Do whatever you need the others are do at any time and the other team leaders will have the same opportunity to run through the routine if they so choose to."


	4. POW MIA Table

**CHAPTER 4: THE POW/MIA TABLE**

**When everyone finally arrived the program went off without a hitch. Lisa and Jack sat together watching it all. She would lean over and ask him questions about things going on and whether or not they were good. Every time she leaned over Jack could smell her hair and perfume. He smiled at her and explained the best way he could. He had been in the college level of ROTC and knew most of the stuff as he had been apart of the Color Guard and Drill Team for the unit. He enjoyed watching the young cadets march around they almost gave him faith in the future generation. **

Lisa watched her daughter as she marched with a saber. The lights were dimmed and the POW/MIA table was being presented. Her daughter on more than one occasion tried to explain what the table was, but her mother just couldn't believe it until she saw it herself.

Tapp's played softly in the background as the five cadets marched in slowly. They took a step with their left foot bring and than brought their right one up to match there left one. Than they would step off with their right and continue the process until they made it the twenty feet to the table. The moon shown in lighting the empty table with one chair that was sitting pushed in empty. Tapp's stopped as soon as the cadet had circled the table an arm's length apart from each other. They stood with their heads bowed to the ground as the person read on. Each held an item in their hand.

**This small table, which occupies a place of dignity and honor near the head table. It is set for one, symbolizing the fact that members of our Armed Forces are missing from our ranks. They are referred to as POW's and MIA's. We call them comrades. They are unable to be with their loved ones and families tonight, so we join together to pay our humble tribute to them, and bear witness to their continued absence.**

Jack was sucked in by the routine. He had seen many POW/MIA tables in his day it was a custom to have one at every Dining Out or Ball. He was taken back to Kosovo as he watched. He was happy that Lisa was not asking him questions because his mind was back in running away from people.

**This table, set for one, is small, symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner, alone against his or her suppressors. The tablecloth is white, symbolic of the purity of their intentions to respond to their country's call to arms. **

**Lisa broke her eyes from the table as she heard short breaths, not loud enough to alarm anyone not close, coming from the man Jack. She looked over and saw his blue eyes full of pain and she wondered what he was thinking about. The ceremony could be very touching, so her daughter told her, and she felt at the moment, but she just couldn't picture this man getting emotional over it unless it had some meaning to him.**

**The single red rose in the vase, signifies the blood they many have shed in sacrifice to ensure the freedom of our beloved United States of America. This rose also reminds us of the family and friends of our missing comrades who keep the faith, while awaiting their return. **

A cadet raised his head slowly and took a step while the cadet reading spoke. He slowly placed the rose on the table and took a small step back his heels clicking with a eerie sound breaking the silence as the reader took a breath. The moon acted as a spotlight on the table that gave the already grave ceremony an even more ceremonial remembrance feeling. When the reader finished the cadet stepped back drawling his sword ever so slowly, painfully slow, raising it over the table so his point pointed at the middle of the table his arm elevated to make an arch with the sword.

**The yellow ribbon on the vase represents the yellow ribbons worn on the lapels of the thousands who demand with unyielding determination a proper accounting of our comrades who are not among us tonight.**

On cue another cadet took her step forward tying the yellow ribbon around the vase slowly and ceremoniously. The entire point to the table was to be slow and ceremoniously it was considered a inexcusable error to mess up while doing the POW/MIA table because it held so much respect for the men and woman who had given their life up for the country.

**A slice of lemon on the plate reminds us of their bitter fate. The salt sprinkled on the plate reminds us of the countless fallen tears of families as they wait.**

As before exactly on cue a cadet took a step up. One set the plate on the table in his hand he had salt they sprinkled on it. He placed a slice of lemon from his other hand on the plate. As the others he took his step back and drew his sword and raised it.

**The glass is inverted - they cannot toast with us this night. **

**A female cadet did as everyone before her.**

Jack could only here gun fire. Each clicking of the cadet shoe as they stepped back made him jump slightly. Lisa was so entranced by the man that she barely paid attention to the ceremony.

**The chair is empty - they are not here. **

**The candle is reminiscent of the light of hope which lives in our hearts to illuminate their way home, away from their captors, to the open arms of a grateful nation.**

Finally on cue Liz took her step up setting the candle on the table. She lit the match that she held in her other hand and lit the candle. She swiped the match out as she moved her hand down to her side putting the matches in her pocket, covertly as the audience never saw it, and pulled her sword slowly doing as all others had before her.

A few seconds of silence filled the air before the cadets started to side step around the table and Tap's began to play again.. A perfect arch made by the swords, all of the swords points meeting in the middle of the table. They were in step together their heel's came together at the same time making one loud booming noise. The cadets did two laps around the table before the lead started to march away as they had before coming to the table each step slow and bringing the lagging foot to meet the other before stepping off with that foot. After all cadets cleared the table they slowly put their swords back in their sheaths slowly while still marching. They held them two inches from being completely in the sheath and when the reached the end of the drill area they together stopped, and pushed the sword the rest of the way in adding to the noise of their heels coming together and the swords clinking in their sheaths.

Thomas broke the silence by welcoming everyone to the drill meet and setting up the schedule for the night. The cadets rushed off to dress for their competitions.

Lisa looked over at Jack who now in the light of the foyer was almost pale. "Are you ok?" She asked softly.

It took Jack a minute but finally he spoke, "Yeah." His voice cracked not making him very convincing.

"That was a lovely ceremony." Lisa tried to say to take the eerie feeling she was getting off Jack away.

"They did a great job." Jack said softly in his own thoughts still.


	5. Post Meet

**CHAPTER 5: AFTER THE MEET**

Jack sat with Lisa the rest of the meet and answered her questions once again back to normal, even if he didn't feel normal. She was a nice lady, and he was sort of attracted to her. She had something about her more than looks that attracted him. He smiled and laughed when she asked really bad questions or mispronounce something.

"What's a Tin Hut? Why are they telling them Tin Hut?"

"Tin Hut is Attention."

"Why don't they just say Attention."

"Because it sounds like they want you to pay attention rather than snap to the position attention." Jack laughed.

"Yeah I guess that sounds better." Lisa almost grabbed Jack's arm as she saw her daughter march her team out to the ready line. "Oh there she is. God I'm to scared to watch for her."

"She'll do great. Thomas seems to have faith in her and that's hard to earn from him." Jack said watching as the girl took his advice.

Her nerves wore away some as she breathed in, maybe the man was right. Where was her father? He was suppose to be here. She scanned the crowd one more time to find him standing in the doorway of the foyer. She smiled, he was here, she could do this no problem, to show him what she was capable of.

She marched through the routine never once going out of bounds. They were prefect, the same people minus the reader, and head cadet of the table, marched with her. They were in step, almost as if they were one body in multiple bodies. They were in line, perfectly even on their wheels which where hard to do because it was like having a pole through your back and than trying to turn while staying in a line, a fan motion almost.

When she finished she did not cheer, there could always be things she missed. She walked back to the room and undid her uniform she was finished for the day already having done the drill team routine. She walked back out and found her father.

"You did a great job out there honey. I'm proud of you. Where is your mom?" Her father said not really seeming interested.

"over there." She nodded her head.

Her father saw Lisa sitting next to a man smiling and talking. She was leaning close, it looked almost as if she was flirting with him. Dave was half tempted to walk over a make a scene, but he decided to stay where he was.

It seemed like forever for both Liz and Lisa while they waited for the last color guard to go and the score tallies to be calculated.

Finally the Colonel called for all Cadets to form on the floor. Each cadet grabbed a cover, most of them war berets. They formed one big mass formation all standing at attention, each in their own little cluster according to school.

"Parade Rest." The Colonel ordered in a crisp voice.

Sergeant Dansizen stood by the trophy table ready to hand the Colonel the trophies for the winners.

Liz listened as the Colonel handed out the third, second place trophies for the drill teams. The third place going to the Army Unit from Manual, the second to the Navy from Woodroof, and finally he got to first place and the only Air Force Unit there won. The Colonel congratulated the cadets of those teams and went on to the Color Guard teams. When he finally reached first place Liz began to wonder if she had screwed it for the team. The Colonel stayed quiet, it seemed a few seconds longer before he read the winner, "AIR FORCE JROTC FROM CENTRAL" He was happy and very proud of Liz who marched up unable to keep the smile off her face as she took the trophy from him.

The Unit did their best that year taking first in all events and winning the overall competition. The foyer cleared out as the janitors came in to clear the chairs out. Thomas ordered Liz to supervise getting all of the equipment back to the unit so he could go talk to Jack.

Dave rushed over to the Colonel ready to impress the man, "If it's ok sir I'd like to take all the Cadets out to celebrate. Pizza of course you and Sgt. Dansizen would join right sir?"

"Sure." The colonel knew that was Liz's father and he disliked the man some.

Lisa toyed with the option of asking Jack back to her house. She didn't want to sleep with him and didn't want him to get the wrong impression, but she did want to get to know him. There was so much there to him and she was attracted to him. He made her laugh and he seemed really nice. "Jack would you like to join me at my house for a drink? Liz will be out celebrating and maybe you could explain some more of this stuff to me so I'm not so clueless when my daughter speaks to me about it."

Jack smiled at her, he wanted to go back just to talk to her, she made him smile and he was attracted to her, but he had the meeting with the Colonel.

"Excuse me Lisa let me steal Jack for one moment." Thomas said interrupting before Jack could answer.

Once they were out of earshot of everyone Thomas asked, "Are you going to be home later tonight?"

"Yes sir." Jack said confused.

"Ok I gotta go out with Liz's father." Thomas saw the look on Jack's face a knew he was interested in Lisa, "They are divorced, he's taking the kids out for Pizza. But I'll come by afterwards."

"Yes sir. If I'm not there I'm having a drink with Lisa and getting my wallet back." Jack said smiling he could go and have a drink. A harmless little drink that all it was.

"Ok. I'll wait for you. You still hiding the spare key in the same spot?"

"Where you told me yeah." Jack answered.

"If you are not there I'll let myself in."

"yes sir."


	6. Not A Date Just a Drink

**CHAPTER 6: NOT A DATE JUST A DRINK**

Jack followed Lisa in his truck back to her house. The streets were familiar because they were the same streets he had driven to the school. The town was not small, but it wasn't a large town it was your typical Midwest town that was struggling to stay afloat because all of the major cities like Chicago got the funding. Jack rolled his window down once he was outside of her house and said, "I'm going to go park truck at my house."

"Ok." She said watching him. What was she doing inviting him over for a drink. It was just a drink. What was the problem with just a drink? She was being a good neighbor, nothing more, and she needed to get him his wallet. She felt nervous as she tried to find alcohol she didn't keep much around the house.

A knock came on the door and she looked at herself in the mirror quickly. Shit her hair wasn't right, but if she went to fix it she wouldn't answer the door in a timely manner. She took a deep breath and laughed, she was acting funny just for a drink with no more meaning. She answered the door, "Is wine ok?"

"Sure."

She almost melted as she saw him smile. He had a really nice smile. "Good because that's all I have." She felt her stomach get ready to growl and felt embarrassed quickly by the noise. "are you hungry? You want something to eat." She was nervous god why was she so nervous.

Jack didn't know what to say he was hungry but he didn't want to be a burden. "I was going to go grab something later."

"Oh no please let me make something quickly."

"I couldn't."

"Yes you can I attacked you and you have a nice bruise because of me. It's the least I could do. I mean what are your friends going to say when you tell them you got it from a woman?"

Jack smiled his friend already made a comment, "Nothing. Wouldn't be the first woman." He smiled flirtingly. What was he doing flirting with her, she was just being a ice neighbor.

She blushed, "Darn I really wanted to be the first." She saw the smile on his face fade for a second but he quickly put it back on.

"Sorry to disappoint."

"What do you want to eat?" She said walking to the kitchen he followed her.

"I really don't want to."

"Jack shut up. What do you want I have" She opened the fridge, "Cold pizza, cold pizza, or Lucky Charms?"

"hmm let me think about that. Why don't we run down the street to the small Chinese place and get something to go, that's hot? My treat for scaring you and causing you to beat the crap out of me." Jack smiled at her.

She didn't know what was this a date, or just being friends. She would make sure it was just being friends, she almost laugh as her mind chimed it, wouldn't mind being more than friends. "Sure. Let me go grab my purse."

They walked side by side down to the end of the street where there was a small Chinese restaurant. Lisa smiled as Jack let her order first and than ordered his own food. Finally, a man who didn't order for her. He carried the bag back to her house she walked closer than a normal set of people would walk by each other, neither of them noticing the closeness until Lisa's hand gently brushed Jack's arm. Jack felt a electrical charge, a spark and he felt himself shiver. He had to keep his distance he wasn't here for this. He had work, or something like it to do.

She opened the door to her house and let him in. "I'll get silverware." She said walking into the kitchen.

"They gave us chop sticks." Jack said smiling.

"Yeah never could use those." She said walking towards the kitchen.

"But that's the only way to each Chinese food. At least the proper way." He smiled, "I'll show you it's easy."

She didn't know if she could talk him touching her again. She felt the little electric charge and tried to ignore it, but her body responded in ways she thought it would never do again. She smiled, "Ok but I reserve the right to get silverware ate any time during the meal."

"Deal counselor." Jack took the chopsticks out and showed her how to hold them. After a few minutes of going over it again she took the chopsticks and started eating with them.

"Finally." She said feeling stupid it took her that long to figure out how to use chopsticks.

Jack smiled at her as he took a mouthful of rice in his chopsticks. "See it's not as hard as you thought and the food taste better this way."

They ate and Lisa filled the conversation with her past career efforts. Finally after a glass of wine she was ready to start questioning him, "What brings you from California?"

"A friend asked me to help him with some stuff."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure yet." Jack said smiling.

"You came all this way because someone asked for help?"

"I owe him a lot they saved me a few times."

"is it Colonel Anderson?" She asked not knowing any of Jack friends but the Colonel seemed to fit the idea of saving his life.

Jack smiled at her he wasn't going to answer. "So tell me more about yourself?"

"I've already told you everything Jack you aren't getting off that easy. At least tell me this much which branch of the Armed Forces were you in?"

"How do you know I was in the Armed Forces?"

"The way you were with my daughter ealirer and the Colonel and you have that air about you."

Jack smiled, "I was in the Army."

"And you did what with the Army?"

"A lot of stuff." Jack felt slightly uncomfortable talking about himself. "What college did you go to?"

"Nope not going to answer that Jack. What type of stuff did you do in the Army?"

"I was in Delta."

She raised her eyebrows he just didn't have that air about him, but than she hadn't expected him to be a CIA agent. "Delta like the special forces Delta?"

"That would be it."

"What did you do in there?"

"A lot of stuff." Jack answered dodging the answer.

"You are one hard person to get information out of Jack." She smiled at him she saw a sad smile for on his face and she wondered what she said. "What did you do in L.A.?"

"I worked for the government."

"Which part?"

"National Security." He was really uncomfortable now, he felt like he was a witness being crossed examined.

"National Security ever meet the president?"

Jack lowered his head he could lie to her and say no, or he could tell the truth and get more questions, "Yes. I've meant President David Palmer on a few occasions."

"No way?" She laughed, "What was he like?"

"Probably one of the best Presidents the United States ever had. He was a very honest man who cared for this country."

"God that must have been great?"

"I guess." Jack thought the circumstance for the first meeting weren't great.

"Anyone else?" She asked eagerly listening.

"No not really."

"What about his size is he as big in person?"

"He's huge. He always made me feel like a midget."

"Well you are." She laughed he was smaller than her normal type of guy, but there was bite behind him she could tell.

He laughed, "I'm just a little short."

"So what did you do for National Security?"

"You are very persistent you've always been like this?"

"I just like to know a lot about my neighbors and people I beat the crap out of."

"Where did you learn those moves?"

"A friend of mine. A cop friend of mine. I'm a D.A. here in town and he thought it'd be good for me to know some moves so when I'm out late working I can fend off unsuspecting good citizens."

Jack laughed a real laugh something he hadn't done in awhile. He enjoyed talking to her, she was a very nice person, and very attractive with her long brown hair and her green eyes.

The front door to the house came bursting open and Liz came rushing in excited her father not far behind her.

Dave saw the man sitting at the table with his ex-wife, "Who's this?" He asked his voice holding a slight tone of anger.

"Dave this is my neighbor Jack." Lisa said hoping saying he was her neighbor would be enough to get him to stop.

"o so you're fucking the neighbors now?"

Jack felt a slight bit of anger flush over him, he didn't like how the man was treating Lisa, nor the implications. Jack was going to get up but Lisa shot him a look of sorry. He stayed in the chair not wanting to escalate the scene.

"So how is my wife Jack the neighbor?"

"Excuse me I think I'll go home now. Thanks for the company Lisa." Jack got up to walk out the door.

"Hold on not so fast Jack. I asked you a question."

Liz was standing in the hallway watching. Lisa didn't see her, "Dave leave him alone. We were just talking and I haven't been your wife in a long time. Now get out of his way. You always have to do this."

Dave didn't move Jack stood there he wasn't going to force his way out and give Dave a reason to hit him. "Oh I think what you do in the house where my child lives is a concern to me. How many strange men do you bring back here?"

"Dave stop it now." Lisa said her anger flushing her.

Jack moved forward a little more as Dave had moved a little out of the way. Dave saw him moving and decided to swing at Jack.

Jack ducked out of the way of the punch and as a reflex sent two more at Dave hitting him in the chin and than the stomach. Dave stumbled back dazed.

"Dad!" Liz rushed over to her father who stumbled back.

"I'm sorry." Jack said looking at Lisa who looked shock. "I'm sorry Dave I shouldn't of I'm sorry it's a reflex."

Dave rushed at Jack knocking Liz over. Jack tried to grab Liz before she fell to the floor hitting her head on the small table, but Dave hit Jack with a full force tackle.

Jack fell to the floor with Dave on top of him. He moved his hands quickly to protect his face from the on coming punches Dave was throwing. Dave hit Jack in the ribs once. Jack held himself back from attacking Dave. Liz didn't not need to see her father beaten in front of her eyes. Jack managed to catch Dave's next punch and than struggled with the man as he continued to hit Jack in the head with his other free hand. Jack struggled the punches were hard and dazing him quickly, he felt his grip loosening on Dave's hand and he made a choice. He punched Dave hard in the head dazing the man enough to get him off him. Jack stood up and moved away from Dave who lay on the ground.

"I'm sorry Liz and Lisa." Jack said before walking out of the house. He walked in the night back to his house down the street. He opened the door and walked into his dark house. He heard a noise in the other room and he felt his sore body tense.

He walked cautiously to the other room and saw a man sitting in the chair.

"What the hell happened to you now?" The colonel asked seeing blood coming from the side of Jack's head.

"Nothing." Jack said finally feeling the blood. "Give me a minute to go clean up."

Jack walked into the bathroom and washed the blood from the side of his head he had a few more bruises starting on his face. He walked back out the Thomas, "What do you need my help with?"


	7. What Do you Want me to do?

**CHAPTER 7: WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO**

Dave left shortly after Jack walked out of the house. Lisa was sitting back down shaking slightly from the adrenalin rush she got from the moment of action. She couldn't believe that Dave had acted like he had. She felt so bad because Jack apologized for defending himself.

"He's a prick." Liz said getting up from the ground the back of her head hurting.

"Don't call your father that." Lisa assumed Liz was talking about her father.

"No. Jack whatever. He never should of attacked my dad that way."

"Liz he didn't attack your father. He attacked him."

"Whatever mom. I don't like the guy." Liz rushed off to her room angry.

Lisa still shaking slightly felt bad, but didn't want to go to Jack's house so soon incase Dave was sitting outside waiting for her to leave. She walked to the fridge and grabbed the last beer in there. She sat down and drank it. Should she have brought Jack back so soon? She had just meant him, and it was just supper nothing more. She enjoyed talking to him, he seemed like a sweet guy. She knew she did her typical thing thought.

Habits die hard and she was a prosecutor most of her life, questioning uncooperative witness's on the stand, and cross examining others and she got so use to just freely asking questions and pushing for the answers that she almost always did it. She would never catch herself in the act, but afterwards she would look back and see what she had done. She had to stop completely and utterly just screwed it up, but what? It was just drinks she reminded herself. She laughed all the tension running from her body, just drinks, maybe just drinks again.

------

"What did you do?" The colonel asked wondering how Jack got into trouble in that short period of time.

"It's nothing Thomas. What do you want me to do?"

Thomas noticed Jack changed to his name and not calling him Colonel, a sign that Jack was getting irritated with his questions. "My nephew has sort of gone missing. Not really missing, we know where he is but it's the wrong crowd of people."

Jack sighed and sat down.

"WE have a group over in East Peoria, white supremacist and I fear he had joined them. Matt Hale the leader of the Church of the Creator, I've seen my nephew Peter with him before. I know they are planning on doing something, the lady you meant tonight Lisa, has almost got the leader Matt on a conspiracy charge, and I know they will probably act against her eventually or try to. I'm almost sure they'll have Peter right in the middle of it too. If you could please go in and get Peter to come back out, I can't they know I don't think like them, but you are what they want. A lone person, who is disenchanted with the world, and needs someone to blame for their problems. Not exactly you, but I know you are good at undercover stuff. If you could please do this for me we would be even."

"Colonel we would never be even you've helped me to much." Jack thought about what the man was asking. Jack no longer had the protection of the law on his side, and if things went sour he had no backup. "What about back up plans? Incase something happens. Establishing a cover."

"I'm afraid on this one Jack you would have to go as yourself. And if you get in trouble than you'll have to face the charges or work with Lisa to get you help out of it. I don't want her to know about what you are doing."

"I understand." Jack thought about what the man was asking him. He owed the man. Jack had flown with Thomas before on training missions. Thomas would fly the men to islands and drop them off, he was always on time for the pick up, and had flown Jack into quite a few real missions. He had been the helicopter pilot that disobeyed an order to turn back when Jack called for an evacuation during the Operation Nightfall fiasco. Jack had been injured and was having a hard time, under heavy fire to make it to the helicopter, Thomas put his co-pilot in charge and went out and grabbed the man in the field and helped him back to the helicopter all during heavy fire. Thomas had helped him multiple times with dealing with the fiasco and much more. "Is there a deadline on any of this?"

"Not really before Peter gets himself into trouble." Thomas said studying his friend. "Jack I don't want you to feel obligated to do this. I'm asking a lot but I don't know anyone else who can do it. I will fully understand after all you've been through if you tell me to forget it. I would never fault you for it."

Jack sighed, "I'll do it. I've been bored anyways. I'll need a gun. They took mine."

"No problem I got a friend willing to help with that. And might even have a possible way in for you." Thomas said smiling, "I'm very grateful Jack. No matter what you say after this I will be the one who owes you. I'll get back to you tomorrow with everything. Show up to the practice and I'll get you a contact."

"Ok. After that I think we should limit conversations because once I get in I can't have connection with you. I'll call you once I got anything. Do you have a picture of Peter?"

"Yeah I'll get it to you tomorrow." Thank you Jack.

"Thank you." Jack said smiling. He was back to action Jack, no longer sitting around with his thumb up his ass bored as hell. "you want a beer sir?"

"No. What happened to your face now?"

"It was nothing. Just a mistake."

"Wasn't Lisa again was it?"

"No." Jack smiled.

"So what do you think of her?"

"She seems like a great mother and an even better lawyer. I felt like I was in front of a senate commission or something like that." Jack said smiling.

"Yeah she can do that. I don't think she means to it just kind of happens that way. But she's a really good woman. I've known her for a few years now since her daughter Liz started in the unit."

"Liz seems like a decent leader."

"Yeah I'm hoping to get her into the Air Force Academy and she wants to be a pilot too."

"Ah I see you found a new protégé" Jack laughed his head hurt from where he was hit.

"Well I'm going to sneak out the way I came in. Think about Lisa for a bit. Chew on it if you must, from the sounds of it you are a blacklisted man in L.A. and it'd be nice to have a war buddy here."

"I'll think about it. Why do I feel like this is a really bad set up gone wrong."

"Because it almost is. Talk to you later Jack. Good luck and thanks."

"See you tomorrow Colonel."

Jack sat on his old warn couch that came with the place. He took a long pull of the beer he had grabbed from the fridge earlier. L.A. he didn't really want to go back, there was nothing really there for him, but Kim. Was that enough to take him back? He could probably find a decent job in Peoria. What was there to do, it was a smaller town, not small, but smaller, what was there to do? He wouldn't mind settling down somewhere that no one would look for him. How many terrorist would look in Peoria, Illinois for him? There had been a few at the main college there, with possible connections, but than what would you expect in a town where there is a great private college (IT"S REALLY NOT THAT GREAT IT SUCKS MONKEY BALLS).

He drifted off to sleep wondering what Peoria might have for him.

----------------------


	8. Why Doesn't Anything Ever go as Planned

CHAPTER 8: WHY DOESN"T ANYTHING EVER GO AS PLANNED

Jack awoke the next morning to a knocking on the door. He sat up in the bed tired still, he didn't remember walking to the bed the night before, but than e had quite a few to drink. He slept must have slept the night through after he made it to his bed. He found a shirt and sweatpants to put on, he pulled the shirt over his head as he walked out to open the door.

Lisa stood in the doorway with two Styrofoam cups in a cup carrier and a bag in the other hand. She smiled when she saw Jack look out the window of the door to see who was knocking. It was six in the morning, still earlier, but she wanted to apologize for the night before, and she had to be to work soon. She decided this was the best way to apologize to him.

Jack opened the door scratching the back of his head confused as to why she was at his door with coffee and food this early in the morning.

"Peace offer? I'm sorry about that last night." She said offering up the coffee.

Jack smiled and took the coffee, he didn't want to be rude, "It was nothing. I should apologize to you." Jacks smile had faded as the incident ran through his mind.

"Well I'll forgive you if you forgive me? But truthfully I don't see any fault on your side, and I'm the law and I'm use to assigning fault." She said trying to crack a joke to ease the weirdness between them, she had felt it the night before, but ignored it.

"Deal." Jack said leading her into the kitchen.

"Did I wake you up?" She finally noticed his messed hair, and outfit.

"It's fine I needed to get up anyways I got some work to do today." He said softly.

She was studying the place. It was rundown, but clearly he was fixing it up as she could see the sheets of drywall, and paint on the floor of the room. "I'm sorry about that." She said softly she had just assumed he would be up for no real reason.

"It's fine." Jack said smiling at her, he got lost in her eyes for a moment there was something behind them he hadn't expected to see.

They sat down and ate the bagels she brought over and the coffee. She asked about what he was doing to the house, and a lot of other things, again he felt like he was being crossed examined, he smiled and answered.

Lisa noticed what she had been doing and frowned, "I'm sorry it's a bad habit the cross examination."

"It's ok. I've been crossed examined by worse people." Jack said trying to help her ease her embarrassment some.

"Really by who?" She asked unable to stop herself she wanted to know about the man in front of her.

"People, I can't really get into it." He knew that would only bring on more questions he didn't look her in the eye.

She looked at him and saw the clear uncomfortable body language coming off him, "Ok fair enough." She looked at her watch she was late for work, it would be the first time in her life, she thought, that she had been late for something. "I got to go to work." She smiled getting up.

"Thanks for the breakfast." Jack said smiling getting up to walk her out of the house.

"Thank you for having me." She said smiling at him as he let her out of the house. She didn't turn back, she fought the urge to turn back and look to see what he was doing. She walked to her house and got in her car driving off.

Jack got into a shower as soon as he finished watching her drive off. He was in a good mood that morning, not sure why, but he was happy or close to it. He got dressed in his work clothes and went to work finishing the dry walling he had to do in the living room. He had been uncomfortable about the way his house looked when she came in, he hadn't worried about something like that in a long time. He would have to pull his emotions back, it was nothing more than lust, he tried to convince himself.

He spent the day dry walling the living room, until around two o'clock when he left to go see Colonel Anderson. He was covered in the dry wall dust and other stuff, but he didn't have time to take a shower and he didn't want to be late for the practice. He did change his black shirt that had been covered and put a new one on. He rushed out of the house to his truck.

When he pulled into the parking lot of the school he searched for a parking spot, he was on the east side of the school where the building with the swimming pool was, the two football fields and the race track. He had been amazed at how small the school was compared to the high schools he had gone to growing up. He finally found a parking spot and than walked to the unit that was in the garage of the school. He knocked on the door, he heard the bell ring inside the school telling the students they were free to go about their lives once again. It took a minute before someone came to the door and opened it.

Liz ran to the door and opened it for the Col who was busy talking with a teacher about sharing the foyer so they could practice also. When she saw it was Jack she frowned and let him in. She made it very clear she didn't like him anymore.

Jack almost laughed at the teenagers reaction to him, it was as if she could already see inside him and know he liked her mom or lusted after her mother, on top of the events of the other night. He walked into the unit and Thomas smiled at him from across the room.

Jack waited watching as more students filed into the unit, it was after school but they were all there to practice. He watched as Liz handed out the rifles and explained to them the basic moves they were starting out as a warm up.

Jack watched her stand in front and command them.

"Right shoulder arms" in sink they counted the first time each movement was a number they were together there hands moving at the same time at the same place until the rifle trigger guard rested on their right shoulder, at a 45 degree angle. She gave the order, "Order arms". The rifles with the counting again moved back off the shoulder to the floor. The next time she gave the order the counting was not there, but they were still in sink. Jack watched enjoying the show of hard work, and in it's own way it was beautiful.

Thomas walked up to him putting his hand on Jack's shoulder, "Weird to see them so young doing this isn't it?"

"Just a little sir." Jack answered.

"Ok guys we got the practice area get the flags and lets get moving." Thomas said and the cadets waited for the order to fall out and all of them at the same time took one step back and did an about face and moved off towards whatever object they were going to carry up.

Thomas and Jack lagged behind the group of kids as they walked through the paper covered hallway floors to the big open foyer that was bustling with activity from the soccer team.

"We get half the floor guys." Thomas said grabbing Jack to stop him before they entered through the four doors that led into the foyer. "Here is a picture of Peter and I have a file downstairs with more information I'll get to you as soon as the practice is over."

"Yes sir."

"now just watch them if you see them do something wrong, or you think they could improve speak up." The colonel said in an ordering voice handing Jack a clipboard with paper clipped on it and a pen to write with.

Jack watched them the entire practice finding minor things that he pointed out and he enjoyed most watching Liz show the cadets the different movements of the new routine she had created for their next competition. Jack didn't know Lisa well, but he could see a lot of her in Liz. Finally after he had gotten to the point of knowing all the cadets names and knowing the routine he looked outside to see it was already dark. When he looked at his watch he saw it was well past seven p.m. they had been practicing for over 5 hours and he had not noticed that much time had gone by.

Thomas finally spoke, "Cadets that's a night." He yelled out.

Jack followed them downstairs and waited in the cadet lounge sitting on the uncomfortable blue couch as Thomas went over the different events coming up, and teams for those events.

When Thomas finished he left the room to go check the office before closing up. It was a routine he had to allow the leader of the team time to talk to their team without him around. Liz always took advantage of the time to praise those who did well and ask others to speak with her later.

Thomas came back out of the office as he saw the cadets thin out and walked up to Liz, "Your mother called and she's at a meeting late, is it ok if I have Jack take you home since it's on his way?"

Liz didn't want to ride with the man that had beaten her father, but she didn't want to inconvenience the Colonel either.

"I would do it Liz but I got a dinner engagement with my wife." Thomas said seeing the look on Liz's face.

"yeah it's fine." Liz said she wasn't going to act like a child over this.

"Jack it ok with you?" The Colonel called out.

"Sure it wouldn't be a problem sir." Jack answered.

"Ok let me get the file for you before you leave." The Colonel walked back into the office and brought Jack the file. "if you have any questions I'll be home after eight."

"Yes sir." Jack answered looking uncomfortable talking about it around Liz.

Liz followed Jack outside it was dark out and the street lights only illuminated certain area's. She studied him as he walked wondering who he was to the Colonel and what the file and stuff was about. She wasn't a stupid girl and she knew something was up. "So what is in the file?" She decided to ask the Colonel no longer around.

"just some old stuff." Jack answered not exactly lying.

He walked to the passenger door of the truck and was unlocked it for her so she could get in.

Liz got into the truck and closed the door, she was reaching over to unlock the driver side door when she saw the two men with mask on their face coming around the driver side. She screamed to warn Jack, but when she turned to yell she already saw another man behind him. Liz locked the door automatically and crouched down in the seat rummaging through her bag to find her cell phone.

Jack had not seen or heard them coming, but when he finally did see them it was to late to reach for his own gun he kept well hidden.

"Don't move." A gruff voice ordered him. "Get the girl out of the car." The man with the gruff voice ordered the other two men.

Liz heard the banging on the window and she didn't move from the floor she was scared out of her mind, not sure what to do.

"Kid either get out of the car or I'm going to bust the window in and drag you out." The man screamed.

Jack yelled, "Liz stay in the truck." For his outburst he get the gun smashed against his head sending him back against the truck dazed as he felt blood start to trickle out of the cut caused by the site of the gun.

"Kid get out or I'll put a bullet in him and than you." The man with the gruff voice ordered.

Liz peeked her head up to see that Jack was leaning against the truck already bleeding and the men all had guns out and pointed at either Jack or her. She unlocked the door and climbed out her legs and arms shaking, she tried to control them.

"Good kid." The man outside the passenger door said. "Now turn around and put your hands on the hood of the truck and you won't get hurt.

The man with the gruff voice spoke to Jack, "What's in the file?"

"Nothing important."

"Hand it over." The man ordered waiting for Jack to hand it.

Jack didn't move, he didn't know what was in there, but he was sure the colonel never meant to let it get into the hands of these men, whoever they were.

"Jack we already know what is in there." The man with the gruff voice said, he must have been the leader.

Jack wondered how the hell the man knew his name.

"Are you going to hand it over?"

Liz felt the a man behind her staring at her making her uncomfortable. The man put his hand on her ass and she freaked out turning around and smacking him hard in the face.

The leader moved his gun off Jack making a mistake. Jack took the opportunity and attacked the man quickly. Jack had the gun out of the mans hand easily, he knew they were armatures and this hand nothing to do with his time at CTU.

The other two men saw their leader going down and one of them reacted quickly squeezing the trigger of the gun in his hand.

Jack felt the searing pain in his side as the bullet tore through his flesh. He collapsed on the man he had tackled to the ground. His hand quickly moving to the wound to check it.

Liz screamed and tried to get away from the man who was next to her holding her now.

Jack moved slowly off the man, who was dazed under him. He only had to hold out a little longer he thought to himself, the cops surely would come at the sound of the gunshot. His hand over the wound he moved away ready to fight again, he felt sick to his stomach as he felt the warm blood run through his fingers, the bullet had taken a chunk out of his side, but it wasn't life threatening. Jack was getting ready to attack again when someone called out, "I wouldn't do that."

Jack looked over his shoulder remembering the other two men, one of them had his gun pressed against Liz's head, she was clearly terrified. Jack stopped and looked at the men, out of breath and clearly in pain. He moved away from their friend on the ground and leaned against the front of the truck, his side burning in pain.

The man on the ground got up, he was hurting from the man's quick attack. He walked up to Jack, "If you fight me back I will have them put a bullet in her head, and than in yours. Now give me the folder."

Jack shook his head, he wasn't willing to put Liz's life in danger. He motioned to the folder that lay on the ground.

"Go grab it." The man said stepping back to allow Jack to go get it.

Jack pushed himself off the front of the truck and limped over to the folder trying to block out the horrendous pain he felt with every movement of his body. He saw the man coming and knew he could do nothing to stop the attack that would not come back on Liz. He braced himself as he saw the foot swing towards his body as he was bent down to grab the folder off the ground. The kick connected with his ribs sending him onto the ground grunting in pain. The man came at him again kicking him again and again in the ribs, chest, and back wherever he could land a powerful kick at. Jack took the beating not fighting the man.

"Grab him off the ground." The man ordered after a new round of kicks.

The free man walked over and grabbed Jack who was curled up, he pulled Jack to his feet and pushed him towards the truck. Jack leaned against the truck for support as his battered body was sending waves of pain that made it almost impossible to stay standing.

The man walked up to him, "All you had to do was give me the folder and none of this would have happened." The man sent his fist into where he saw the blood stain forming on the man's dark shirt. Jack crumbled to the ground crying out in pain, his mind desperately fighting to stay conscious. He felt hands on his shoulders again bringing back to his knees.

"Go back to California Jack." The man said, "This is your one free warning next time you won't live." The roundhouse kick caught Jack in the side of the head the force of it sending his head flying into the back of the truck and sending Jack to the ground unconscious.

"Grab the money and lets go." The leader said looking down at the unconscious figure.

"What about the girl?"

The leader walked up to Liz, "I'm going to let you live and not even touch you. You sit in the truck and when we are gone you can call the cops." He wasn't going to kill her she had nothing to tell the cops other than three men attacked Jack.

Liz shook her head, she was to terrified to speak.

"good now get in the truck."

Liz followed the order, she sat in the truck looking out over it, not able to see Jack who was laying right in front of it. She waited five minutes holding back the urge to cry, she was terrified and not sure what to do. When the five minutes passed she collected herself the best she could and got out of the truck. She rushed to the front and checked on Jack. Her JROTC first aid training coming in. She checked for a pulse, when she found one she rushed back to the truck grabbing her cell phone. She called 911 and relayed what had happen in a calm voice to the operator.

Liz was afraid to touch Jack, who had blood coming out of various cuts and his shirt had been tattered. She gently touched him and rolled him over onto his back. She didn't know what else to do, she sat there looking at him, tears in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them come out. The operator kept her on the phone until the ambulance arrived to take Jack away. The police wanted her to go get checked out to make sure she wasn't in shock, so she rode in the ambulance with Jack. She watched the paramedics work on him.

She watched with fascination as they cut Jack's black shirt away from him revealing his battered body already covered in scars. She almost gasped at the amount of scars he had, she had not seen anything like that before.

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Lisa was working late in a meeting with her boss going over the major case they had just received. Her boss had taken interest in the case because it was a high profile case that would make or break his next election campaign.

Mark knocked on the door his face showed there was something clearly wrong. Lisa felt her heart skip a beat as she saw him.

"Lisa there has been an incident at the school. Liz is fine, she's at the hospital but she is perfectly fine, but they need you to go pick her up." Mark had heard about what happened or some of the details, and had decided he should be the one to tell Lisa about it.

"What happened?" Lisa asked her voice showing the clear fear she felt.

"Liz is fine. Why don't you let me drive you down there?" Mark said softly he knew Lisa wasn't in the shape to drive after the shocking news she had just received.

"Mark tell me what happened?"

"Some men attacked Liz and the man who was giving her a ride home, a friend of Colonel Anderson's. She is fine they never touched her she said. Come on, I'll take you to see her now."

"Ok." Lisa got up and grabbed her stuff.

Her boss said, "Don't worry about the case we'll finish it tomorrow."

"Thank you sir."

"Take care of Liz. That's all that matters." He smiled at her he would find out more details himself soon.

Lisa rushed out with Mark who drove quickly to the hospital a few miles away. Lisa rushed through the hospital until she found Liz sitting in a room clearly distraught still.

"Honey are you ok?" Lisa said rushing over to her taking Liz I her arms immediately.

"Yes mom." Liz said finally allowing herself to breakdown and cry in her mothers arms. "They won't tell me if Jack is ok?"

"Jack?" Lisa was caught off guard she hadn't even thought about the man that had been attacked.

"Yeah he was going to give me a ride home, when these three men came out from behind the pool building." She said between sobs.

"Ok honey it's ok now. Mark will you go see about Jack?"

"Sure than I need to get her statement if that's ok?"

"Sure." Lisa said not taking her arms away from her daughter.

Mark walked out to the front desk and asked, "The patient that came in with the girl where is he?"

"He's in a room down the hall." The nurse said pointing towards the last room in the hallway.

"Ok thank you." Marked walk down to the room shocked when he saw the man sitting up in the bed with no shirt on, his side bandaged along with a few bandages on his head.

Jack held his side as he pushed himself to his feet, the pain killers the doctor had given him helping with the pain.

"What are you doing?" Mark asked moving over to Jack.

"Who are you?" Jack's voice cracked his throat was dry.

"Peoria Police." Mark said pulling out his badge.

Jack studied it and shook his head, "How is Elizabeth?"

"She's fine they never touched her."

"Good." Jack moved again he was leaving the hospital, he hated hospitals.

"Where you going?" Mark asked with an amused smile on his face.

"Home."

"I don't know if that's wise." Mark said studying the man, "plus I need to take your statement."

Jack sighed he didn't want to sit around here, he was ready to leave, his head pounded and he felt the world start to spin some he had a concussion from the roundhouse kick to the head. He sat down on the bed in defeat, "What do you want to know?"

"Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Jack went over the details as he remembered them from the time he left the practice to the point he woke up in the hospital.

"Do you know who these men were?"

"No." Jack said, "They all had mask, and never used names. They all had their bodies pretty well covered, they were white."

"how do you know they were white?"

"You can see the skin around the eyes in the sky mask. They all had blue eyes." Jack said remembering them.

"Anything else that might help us find them?"

"Not really."

"What was in the folder?"

"Just some old stuff." Jack said not knowing himself what was in there.

"All they took was the folder and your money?"

"I guess."

Mark knew this wasn't the entire story, but he couldn't push the man much farther because Lisa and Elizabeth were in the doorway now.

Liz walked in she still didn't like Jack, but he had saved her.

Jack suddenly felt self conscious sitting on the bed with no shirt on his scars and wounds out for all to see.

"Thank you for what you did Jack." Lisa said looking at his chest seeing all the scars.

"I'm sorry about that." Jack said softly he didn't expect to be a target he felt horrible for putting Liz in danger, those men wanted nothing to do with her, it was Jack they were after, and they knew to much about him.

Jack moved to stand up again, "Is that all you needed than officer?"

"yeah." Mark said watching Jack move, no pain evident on him anywhere.

"Jack what are you doing?" Lisa asked rushing over her motherly instinct kicking in.

"Leaving." Jack said moving towards the door.

"After you've just been shot, and beaten?"

"I've seen worse before." There was no reason to lie his body proved with the scars that he had seen worse.

Lisa and Liz both followed Jack out of the room nagging at him about leaving as he walked to the front desk.

"Sir you shouldn't be up moving around." The nurse said.

"I want to sign myself out." Jack said holding his side as a wave of pain shot through him.

"Ok sir." She went through the entire ordeal of warning him about signing out against doctors orders, and she knew she wasn't going to convince him to stay.

It took an hour before Jack had signed all the paper work and was able to leave the hospital, by than someone had gotten him a shirt to wear.

"Mark can you give me a ride back to my car?" Lisa asked him as she walked out behind Jack.

"Sure." Mark said smiling at her, he was getting his brownie points in.

"Jack why don't you ride with us and I can give you a ride home and tomorrow Colonel and someone else can bring you your truck?"

Jack didn't want to walk the distance home, and he knew he wouldn't be able to drive as the pain in his side was worsening. "Thank you." He said softly.

Lisa helped Jack into the backseat of Marks car. Liz sat in the back with him and they all drove back to Lisa's office. Jack had started to nod off on the drive back to the office, Liz noticed as she started at him the entire time.

When the car stopped Jack snapped his eyes opened and looked around confused at first, but instantly relaxing after he knew where he was.

Mark opened the door and offered to help Jack, but Jack refused the help getting out holding back a groan. He walked over to Lisa's car and she unlocked it.

The ride back to his house was a silent one. Lisa wasn't sure what to say she was so relieved that Liz wasn't hurt and grateful for what Jack did for her. "Maybe you shouldn't say alone tonight Jack? They know where you live, and you aren't in the shape to really do a lot."

"I'm fine." Jack said softly he didn't want to be rude, but he wanted to be alone.

"I have a spare bedroom with a very comfortable bed." Lisa tried.

"Thank you, but no thanks. I'm fine." Jack said not looking her in the eyes, he felt horrible for putting Liz in danger, he should have known better.

Lisa pulled into his drive way and rushed out of the car to help him, he had already gotten out and was walking towards the front door reaching in his pocket flinching obviously in pain as his had hit the gun shot wound. He pulled his keys out and unlocked the door, "Thank you for the ride." He said at the door.

"Jack thank you for what you did." Lisa said watching him wondering what was going on in his head, there was clear pain in his eyes, yet his body said nothing of it.

Jack shook his head and walked inside closing the door, the sound of the lock clicking told Lisa to leave now.

Jack walked back to the bedroom exhausted he lay on the bed pulling the shirt off cautiously as to not hurt himself any further. He fell asleep within minutes of laying on the bed.

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	9. Umm Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9: UMMMMMMM CHAPTER 9

Jack felt the hand on his shoulder, and reacted. Grabbing the wrist of the hand and twisting it as he shot out of bed, pinning the person against the wall. The adrenaline rush aiding in masking the pain of his wounds. He was breathing heavily as he kept the man pinned against the wall listening for others.

"Jack it's me." The voice said gruffly the hand in the back of his neck pressing his face into the wall not helping.

Jack released his grip the adrenalin wearing away he felt his legs start to give out, as the pain rushed over him.

The colonel grabbed Jack before he hit the ground. "Shit they did a number on you. I'm sorry I didn't know they knew who you were." Thomas said helping Jack to the bed.

"It's ok." Jack said in a hiss the movement hurt the wound on his side. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were ok. I got you into all of this, and than I found out you checked yourself out."

Jack was angry with himself he hadn't even heard Thomas's car pull up, nor did he hear the man enter. If it had been the people from earlier he would be dead by now. "I'm fine."

" You don't look very fine." Thomas said half laughing he had seen Jack in worst condition claiming he was fine before, but this time he felt guilty because Jack was like this because of the mess he got Jack involved in. He should have known better than to pull someone else in, but he needed help.

"I am. I'm sorry they got the file. I had to give it to them they were going to hurt the girl." Jack kept his eyes away from Thomas's he felt bad for letting the Colonel down. He was suppose to help the man and instead he got himself hurt, the file taken, and the chance of actually helping was now out the window. He did more damage than he did help.

"Jack don't be I'm the one who should be sorry I never should have dragged you into the mess. You were looking to start over again, and I brought you a pile of shit."

"You want a beer?" Jack said breaking the conversation up, it was a weird moment between them usually everything was just understood between them.

"Sure." Thomas smiled waiting for Jack who moved slowly at first, but than at full pace as if nothing where wrong. Thomas had always been awed by Jack's ability to deal with the physical pain, and yet the man was horrible when it came to the emotional pain, he treated it like he did the physical pushed it away and kept moving on.

Jack was at the fridge when he saw the man with the mask in the back yard, he didn't have time to react as the door came down and men with shotguns were in the room.

Jack raised his hands hoping Thomas who was in the living room had heard the commotion and would be moving out of the house to safety. Jack's hope was cut short when Thomas was brought through the open doorway into the kitchen from the living room.

The butt of the rifle came crashing into Jack's abdomen where he had been shot. Pain shot through his body, his legs buckling as he screamed out in pain falling to the ground fighting off the pain and the order of his brain to go unconscious. The pain was unbearable that nothing got through from the outside to his mind.

"Get him up and get him restrained." A gruff voice ordered looking down at the man on the ground clearly in his own hell.

"Colonel why couldn't you just let things be. Than your friend here wouldn't be in the condition he is, and we wouldn't have to waste our time with you." The man approached Thomas who stood in a proud manner not showing fear or concern for his friend who was being dragged from behind the counter clearly in pain.

The men let Jack drop to the floor, a groan escaped Jack as the pain was becoming more bearable with every gasp for air. His hands were pulled behind him roughly restrained with plastic ties.

"what do you want done with him sir?" One of the men asked taking Jack's arm to pull him up to his feet.

The leader turned from the Colonel to Jack. "You should have listened and left Jack."

Jack spoke not even attempting to hide the pain he was in, there was no need his face and body showed it loud and clear to all, "I kind of like this shit hole."

The man laughed at Jack's response before smashing the butt of his shotgun into Jack's head sending Jack's head spinning. He finished Jack off with another hit to the bullet wound. The men let Jack's unconscious body drop to the floor.

"Move him out of here. Secure his legs and gag him." The leader said turning back to the Colonel. "Going to make this easy lesson." The man nodded his head at two men who entered from the broken back door. They had baseball bats hanging loosely at their sides.

The two men walked up to the Colonel who was being restrained by two men holding his wrist with vice grips. The first swing of the bat connected with his chest, and the rest just kept coming even as his body fell to the floor and his cries of pain breaking the silence of the room.

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"Liz what do you want to do today?" Lisa asked her daughter looking at her worried.

"Mom you don't have to do this I'm fine." Liz said, though she was happy she didn't have to go to school. She wasn't scared of the men, they didn't want her they wanted to get at Jack, she knew that much. She didn't think she was in any danger, but a day out of school was worth anything.

"Come on we haven't had time together in a long time." Lisa said wondering if she should have a discussion with Liz about what had happened. She didn't think her daughter was in danger, but than she never expected anyone to attack the man she knew as Jack.

"How about we go see a movie later?" Liz said she had been wanting to go see a new movie that was out, but because she wasn't the proper age yet she was not allowed to see R movies unless a parent accompanied her. Her father was suppose to take her to see the movie, but he always had something come up.

"Sure." Lisa said happy that Liz wanted to do something other than sit around the house. "You want some breakfast?"

"Ok." Liz said looking out the window. She found herself staring at Jack's house. She still remembered seeing him taking the beating and doing nothing to protect himself. He had done that for her safety, and she was shocked he had been so willing to do so. She didn't hate the man, but she didn't like the idea of him with her mom either, and the other night showed that there was a potential for more than just friends. She was staring at the house when she saw the black smoke. "MOM!"

"What?" Lisa said almost jumping.

"Jack's place is on fire." Liz said getting up and moving towards the phone.

Lisa walked over and she saw the smoke and the flames, "Call the fire department."

Lisa ran out of the house without shoes on she crossed the street and sprinted to the front door of Jack's house. She tired to open it but the door was locked. She knew she couldn't bust it down, she wasn't strong enough. She rushed around the house screaming Jack's name to try to see if he was inside. When she got no answer and she saw the door lying down on the ground, clearly knocked off its hinges she rushed through into the house. The thick black smoke greeting her the second she got through the door. She dropped to her knees and started to wonder through the house feeling the wall to lead her through, she could feel the heat from the fire, it had spread all over the house, a small path was left. She crawled screaming Jack's name over the loud noise of the fire burning the small house down.

She assumed she was in the hallway when felt, the house was so full of smoke that seeing anything much farther than her nose was impossible. She felt the body, and the blood, she moved so she was over it, she felt and heard a soft moan. "Can you help me move you out of here?" She asked coughing as the black smoke was filling her lungs more and more.

She grabbed the arms of the body and started to move as much as she could now crouched. She tugged and struggled with the body as the exit was rapidly depleting. She was almost out when the first fireman showed up in the back of the house.

"Ma'am are you hurt?" The fireman said seeing the smoke and blood that covered her.

"No it's not mine." She said coughing.

"Ma'am please come with me." The fireman took the unconscious body from her and carried it around to the front of the house where ambulance waited for them.

Liz was in the front of the house looking around wildly for her mother, forcing back tears as she was worried. When she saw Lisa she took off running to her mother. "mom are you ok?"

Lisa shook her head she was coughing from the smoke still. She saw the body she had pulled out and felt her heart drop out, "There is someone else in the house sir." She said frantically.

"We are trying to put the fire out, but we can't get in there right now the fire has consumed the house already. I'm sorry we are trying to put it out so we can get more men in there ma'am you were lucky to get out when you did. They must have used an accelerator of some sort." The fireman said looking at the woman feeling sorry for whatever soul that was still stuck in their because they surely would burn to death.

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	10. The roof is on fire we don't need no

CHAPTER 10: THE ROOF THE ROOF IS ON FIRE WE DON"T NEED NO wATER LET THE MOTHER FUCKER BURN BURN MOTHER FUCKER BURN

He woke up and tried to move his hands to his head where he could feel the warm blood trickling down. His hands wouldn't move from behind his back, they had restrained his hands, and than his brain took note of the restraints he felt on his legs and mouth. Shit, he wasn't going to get out of this until someone let him out. He could hear the cries of pain, and he knew who they were from, he struggled against the restraints hoping maybe he could get out to help his friend, but there was no use. He stopped when silence overtook the house. Had they left? Surely they had left, it was quiet. Who would come, and would the find them quick enough?

Jack was lying on the floor of his room his head aching, no way out of the restraints that held him, when he saw the smoke filtering under the door, and he could feel the house heating up, and than the sound of the fire came into his ears. He struggled against the restraints he had to get free, the house was on fire.

He heard Lisa screaming his name and he couldn't call out because of the gag in his mouth. He rolled on his side trying to find a way to make some sort of noise so she would know he was there. He rolled until he reached the wall, the only thing against the side of the wall was a stand up mirror that had been left in the house. He rolled trying to knock it over, it's breaking would clearly be loud enough to alert Lisa to his position. Finally after a few tires of rolling into the mirror the mirror tumbled down shattering on the floor. Jack listened, the smoke was filtering into the room more, at least he was low to the ground he thought. He had no way of trying to help himself from the smoke and it was filling his lungs quickly as it filtered into the room quickly. Jack felt the heat rise the fire was not to far off, and there was no sound of Lisa coming.

He looked around trying to find something to help him cut the plastic tie that held his hands together. The mirror, he rolled over on the glass feeling it under his body poking him as he struggled to find a piece that he could grasp in his hands. The door was on fire now, he didn't have long. He rolled from the glass trying to give himself more room away from the fire. He started to move the glass, it cut into his hands as he struggled against the plastic tie watching the fire moving closer and closer to him. He was almost through when the fire reached him. He worked as he felt the heat from the fire burn into his exposed skin. He cut through the plastic tie and quickly moved to his feet that were only duct tapped he ripped the tape off. He staggered towards the window coughing uncontrollably as the smoke filled his lungs. He smashed the window with his fist not taking the time to find something to help him through.

Lisa saw the window smash out and she quickly pointed it out to the fireman that was trying to comfort her as she sat in the back of the ambulance breathing oxygen through a face mask.

The fireman rushed towards the window.

Jack's hands were bloody his arm burned as he lifted himself through the window, the glass in the window cutting into his bare hand, but it didn't matter he had to get out of the room. Jack made it out of the window and fell the few feet to the ground bellow. He saw the fireman rush over to him and start patting his arm, making it ache more. Jack groaned and tried to move away.

"Sir your arm is on fire I'm trying to put it out sir." The fireman said as paramedics rushed over. Jack was coughing his chest heaving in pain, his arm ached and stung as the cold air hit it. He felt tired to tired to keep his eyes open. He looked over to see Lisa sitting in the ambulance Liz at her side. He weakly smiled at her as his eyes closed.

Lisa got up and walked over, forcing herself not to rush over. "Is he ok?"

"Yes ma'am." The fireman said not sure himself, but he didn't think the woman needed anymore stress. "They are taking him to the hospital."

"We are riding along." Lisa said following the paramedics as the rushed Jack off on the stretcher.

Liz rushed over getting into the ambulance that Jack was in. She watched her mom who looked at the man with worry on her face. She wanted to try to comfort her mom, but the look on her face told Liz that this was not just her concerned for a neighbor. Liz was upset by the look, why couldn't she give her father the same look.

Lisa watched with worried filled eyes as the paramedics started to connect machines to Jack. He had a oxygen max over his mouth, and blood was flowing from cuts on his arms and from the gun shot wound. Lisa wasn't sure of his condition, but by the amount of blood, and his being unconscious she was worried.

When they reached the hospital the paramedics rushed him out of the ambulance into the awaiting ER room. Lisa and Liz were directed to a waiting room where they could wait if they so choose too.

Liz sat next to her mother looking at her she finally decided to question her mom, "mom what is going on between you and Jack?"

Lisa looked at her daughter confused, "nothing." Nothing was going on, and yet she felt worried for his well being more than a neighbor, nothing had given her a reason to care more than a neighbor, and yet she did.

"Mom it doesn't look like nothing." Liz said upset that her mom wouldn't tell her the truth.

Lisa knew her daughter could see what she was feeling it was very obvious on her face, "Honey there is nothing more than a friendship if that between Jack and I."

Liz was staring at her mother wanting to say more but knowing she would cross a line, she was saved when Thomas's wife came walking into the waiting room.

"What are you doing here?" Lisa asked standing up forgetting all about Colonel Thomas Anderson being in the house.

"They called me is Thomas ok?" Mia, Thomas's wife asked worriedly.

Lisa didn't know what to tell her she had been so wrapped up in worry for Jack she forgot about the badly beaten colonel she had dragged out of the house. "He's hurt." Lisa said not sure what else to say she didn't know.

"How?" Mia was baffled about how Thomas could have gotten hurt. She didn't know what Thomas had asked Jack to do, she barely knew Jack was in town.

"Um I'm not sure. Some men attacked him at a Jack Bauer's house." Lisa wasn't sure how much about Jack Mia had known.

"Jack, oh my god." Mia said she felt even more worried she knew some of the people Jack had dealt with over the years in his career were dangerous but why would they attack Thomas also.

"I think they are both here. Why don't we go ask?" Lisa switched over from concern for Jack to being there for Mia

They walked together to the reception desk Mia asked in a shaky voice, "My husband Thomas Anderson was brought in here. I want to know his condition."

The male nurse looked up at her and started typing the name into the system. "um…" He said waiting for information to come up on the screen. "When was he brought in?"

Mia looked at Lisa for the answer, "Not to long about about twenty thrity minutes?" Lisa guessed.

"He won't be in the system yet, was he brought in through the emergency room?"

"He was one of the two victims from the house fire."

"Oh. Which one?"

Lisa was getting annoyed by the mans inability to do his job, "The older of the two, he came in first."

The man shook his head and started typing again. Lisa was getting really annoyed and wanted to scream at him, but she held her feelings back. She was to be strong for Mia, she remembered how bad Thomas had been when she was trying to pull him out.

"He's in surgery." The man finally answered looking up from the screen. "If you would pleas wait in the waiting room I'll have the doctor come and brief you on his condition when he's out."

"What about the other man?" Lisa asked.

"Um Family?"

Lisa glared at him, "No."

"Sorry I can't give the information out than ma'am. If you wait I'm sure the doctor will come out also when they have dealt with the man if he wants any visitors."

Lisa walked away before she lost her temper. She sat back down in the waiting room wondering how much damage had been done to Jack before he escaped the house. He didn't look horribly beaten, at least not more so than he had the day before. There was a good amount of blood on his face, and on his body, but she assumed it was from the cuts he sustained trying to get out of the house.

Hours passed by and no word came to either of the ladies, and they both had been up to the desk multiple times being told each time just to wait. Lisa looked at her watch as she yawned she didn't want to leave the hospital but Liz had school tomorrow. She formed a plan, "Liz would you mind going to stay at your dad's house tonight? I want to be here for Mrs. Anderson." Lisa tried to lie her true need to be there.

"Fine mom." Liz said annoyed.

"Thank you I'll call him and have him take you back to the house to get some things." Lisa grabbed her cell phone and walked out of the hospital to make her phone call.

Dave answered on the fifth ring, "Yeah."

"Dave it's Lisa can you take Liz tonight."

"How is she after yesterday?"

"Fine. She's fine. There was an incident and the Colonel got injured pretty badly and I don't want to leave Mia alone, so can you take Liz for the night?"

"Ummm I'm in the middle of work right now."

"Please Dave I have never asked you to take her for a night. She doesn't need to be here for whatever happens."

"How was the Colonel injured?"

"Dave please." Lisa said almost pleading she didn't want to get into it with him right now.

"I'll be by. Which hospital?"

"Methodist. Thank you Dave. You'll have to take her by the house to get some stuff and drop her off at school tomorrow. Could you lock up the house please?"

"Yeah. Has she eaten yet?"

"No." Lisa said leaning back against the brick wall in the cool air. She was exhausted from the day, and stressed. She just wanted to curl up somewhere alone in the dark.

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	11. Waking up

**CHAPTER 11: Waking up **

It took them hours before finally a doctor came to speak to the women. Lisa took Mia's hand when the doctor started to speak of Thomas's condition. Lisa listened carefully as the doctor went over the different injuries sustained. She felt Mia's cold palm in her hand start to shake. Lisa knew it was hard for Mia, she and the Thomas had been together for what seemed like forever, Mia once told her the thought of being without the old goat was just not possible.

"But is he going to be fine?" Mia asked tears in her eyes she was holding back.

"He should be ma'am once he heals. There might be some permanent damage but we can't tell at the moment, only time will be able to let us know."

Mia shook her head wiping the tears from her eyes, "What about Jack Bauer, the other man?"

"Are you family ma'am?" The doctor asked already knowing the answer.

"His only family is in California." Mia said, "But I've known him all of his adult life. Now young man help me out here."

"I'll get his doctor for you ma'am." The young doctor said smiling and walking away to find Jack's doctor.

A young woman walked into the waiting room about twenty minutes later, this time Mia took Lisa's hand, she had seen the worry in Lisa's eyes, and she knew the woman felt something for Jack, even if there had been nothing there yet.

"Are you two here for Mr. Bauer?"

"Yes doctor." Mia said, she knew she would do most of the speaking.

"Mr. Bauer is in stable condition and resting in one of the rooms on the sixth floor." The doctor said without giving any information.

"May I see him?" Lisa asked feeling horrible for asking when she should go with Mia to see Thomas.

"Yes ma'am. If you go to the sixth floor they can direct you to his room."

"What about Thomas?" Mia asked holding onto Lisa's hand.

"He's in intensive care, I believe and only family is allowed in." The woman answered with a frown on her face she hated giving out information on patients that weren't hers. "If you want ma'am I can take you to Mr. Anderson."

"Please." Mia said looking at Lisa.

"Mia if you need me call my cell phone please. I'll be ready to help round the clock." Lisa said as Mia walked off. She couldn't miss another day of work she was sure about that to many big cases coming up, and with all that has gone on in the past few days she was sure she would see a rise in her caseload even more. She had a big trail coming up too, she had to be there for. Opening tomorrow, she thought cussing herself as she waited for the elevator. What was she doing worrying over a man she barely knew, she had to get her head examined soon. She walked to the opening on the sixth floor and found the nurses station.

"Excuse me can you please tell me what room Jack Bauer is in?"

"Hold on please." The nurse typed into the computer and than looked back up, "He's right down the hallway second door on the left. I think he's still asleep."

"Thank you." Lisa said wondering if she should go visit him, it seemed sad that there was no one else there to visit him, and that thought gave her the internal justification she needed to continue on down the hallway to visit, she was doing it because there was no one else, and that's what a nice caring neighbor might do. She did not like this man because she barely knew him.

She walked into the room and saw his figure resting on the bed. An IV ran into his left arm which rested just outside the blanket. It was bandage up to the middle of his forearm, and his right arm was completely bandage all the way up to the shoulder. She sat down in the chair at the side of the bed and took note of his slowly rising and falling chest. His head was bandage, she wondered what had happened, she was to busy wondering what had happened to him, and who had done it to notice that he had woke up, his eyes open.

Jack had felt the eyes on him in his sleep, he had been struggling to come out of the fog for awhile now, and not knowing where he was or if he was in danger feeling the eyes on him helped him force his mind completely out of the fog and back into reality. He looked over at Lisa and saw her studying him, he spoke softly as to not scare here, "What happened?"

Lisa almost jumped when she heard the soft coarse voice. She looked up to his face and saw his eyes open, "I was hoping you could tell me." She said softly. "How do you feel?"

"Groggy." Jack said softly.

"No pain?"

Jack lifted his left hand up, "I think they have me connected to pain killers."

Lisa looked down sheepishly of course they did, he must think she's stupid. "I should probably go let them know your awake." She got up to leave quickly, but he stopped her.

"Don't worry. I can just press the button." Jack said looking at her. He could tell she was nervous being there, but he didn't think it was because she didn't want to be there.

"Of course." She said walking back to sit down.

The female doctor from earlier walked in a few minutes later and smiled, "Mr. Bauer."

Jack had already moved in the bed and was sitting up, he wanted out of there, but he knew it would be against doctors wishes. "I'm ready to leave." Jack said to her smiling to make it seem less like a command.

"You really should stay under observation. Your right arm was burnt, and you have many sever cuts. I had to suture your gun shot wound again, and you have a mild concussion." The doctor said, "What do you remember of getting the injuries?"

"It's a little foggy." Jack said looking away. He knew it was the conscious and the memory would be back soon, but he hated not remembering, just flashes. Men in mask, waking up, shit the house was on fire, someone was with him in the house, who was it? He struggled to remember. Than it hit him, it felt like someone hit him in the gut, "Is the Colonel ok?" He looked over at Lisa.

Lisa saw that Jack was worried, "He's here." She said not knowing all of his condition.

"SO he made it out of the house?"

"Yes." Lisa answered.

"What about the house is it?"

"By time the firemen got there it was mostly just to put out the fire. The house went up pretty quickly Jack. I'm sorry."

Jack wasn't worried that the house had burnt down with most of his stuff, but the Colonel had made it out. He must have taken Jack out with him? How did he get the cuts on his arms?

"Mr. Bauer where would you stay if you left?" The doctor found an avenue to try to keep him longer.

"A hotel." Jack said.

Lisa spoke before she thought, "You cant' stay in a hotel. Both of your hands are unusable. If you want you can stay with Liz and myself."

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	12. Life Time of Heartbreaks

**CHAPTER 12: Life Time of Heartbreaks**

"I couldn't intrude on you." Jack began to say but was cut off before he could continue.

"You would not be intruding Jack. You saved Liz, and this is the least I can do. What are neighbors for anyway." Did he not want to stay with them? That could be possible she knew nothing of this man, maybe he didn't want to be around her he possibly couldn't' like her especially after the events with Dave.

"I don't want to put Liz or you in danger." Jack said almost in a whisper.

"Well you can't very well stay on your own, and I'm a distract attorney and I can get extra security if need be." She knew all she had to do was call the station and they would have a car going by often, she needed to do it anyways she was taking on another big gang case and they already had wanted her dead for causing problems with their once cozy system. Since she had started working in the gang unit the conviction rate had gone up, mostly thanks to her hard work.

He knew he couldn't stay on his own. Both of his hands were bandage and he knew were probably not going to be of much use for awhile, and if the people came back again he would not be able to defend himself. She had a point about the extra security, it was just locals after him and not terrorist, so maybe the locals could handle protection. He was to tired to argue with her anymore, "If it won't be to much of a hassle I would love to." His voice was soft.

Had he just given in because he felt bad about not wanting to go with her, or had he really wanted to come. Damn it Lisa, she thought to herself, do you always have to be such a fucking nag, yes that is your job. "Good." She smiled despite the argument ensuing in her head, neither side was going to win anytime soon.

"Can I leave now?" Jack asked looking at the nurse he knew he could leave, but he could tell Lisa was not going to let him until the doctor gave him permission. God how did he get himself in these positions all the time.

"We would like to keep you for observation." The nurse answered seeing the patients face change to one of dread.

"What about Colonel Thomas Anderson?" No one had given him any real details on what had happened.

"I will go check sir." The nurse said happy that this patient wasn't going to fight her. She knew he had been there before and had caused a fuss about leaving.

"Thank you Lisa." Jack noticed her eyes staring back at him, they were so beautiful and so full of kindness and something else he couldn't place, but looking into them he could almost forget everything; forget to breath, the time, what he was, his name, everything just seemed to slip away. He shook his head to break himself out of it, what is going on Bauer, he thought to himself. He didn't come here looking to find anyone, or care for anyone he had enough of that and failed. He needed time to just be, and he had to help the Colonel. He couldn't care for someone again, never again.

"For what?" She asked noticing him shake his head slightly. What was that about? For a second he looked completely lost or alive maybe. His eyes normally were dead, a blue that just seemed cold and unfeeling, except for those moments he was lost or alive, they were a sky blue almost and just burned with something. Either way his eyes were the best eyes she had ever seen.

"For helping." He said a small smile on his face, it was forced, but it was enough to get one from her.

"I'm glad I could."

The nurse came back in before much more could be said. "Colonel Anderson is currently in the ICU. He was badly injured. His wife is with him now. If you would like tomorrow after you have rested one of the orderlies can take you down to see him." The nurse was a big black lady and something in Jack's mind told him not to mess with her because she didn't seem like the type of women who would just let him get his way.

"Thank you. How bad?" Jack asked feeling guilty, he had screwed up let his guard down. He was getting lazy in his work, and this was his fault.

"I don't know for sure sir." The nurse said knowing if she told him the truth he would only worry. "Now you need to rest some. This lovely lady can come back and visit tomorrow."

Lisa smiled she had wondered about leaving, and the nurse had helped on that. "Get some rest I'll come back tomorrow after work. When do you think he will be able to get out?"

"Probably tomorrow evening if everything goes right tonight." It was early, but the nurse could tell this patient would want out soon as he could, and she had no problems letting him out of the hospital.

"Thank you. See you tomorrow Jack." Lisa left but not before smiling and looking back to see Jack watching her leave.

For once sleep came easily to him and he was asleep shortly after Lisa had left. His dreams were not haunted by the faces of the people he had wronged, but by Lisa's face. When he awoke the next morning he found he was hungry and needed to move around his body stiff from the bed, his muscles aching for some sort of use.

The nurse came in and smiled at him, it was the same lady from the day before. "Good morning Mr. Bauer." She smiled at him.

"Please call me Jack." He hated being called Mr.

"Jack we have food out there for you I will bring it in as I am sure you are hungry." The nurse returned with the food and took the lid off for him. She fed him as his hands were wrapped and of no use really.

Jack felt like an idiot having to be fed, but he knew his hands wouldn't do it for him either, and the nurse made it less uncomfortable by joking around with him while she did it.

When he finished eating she had the orderly come in the room and help Jack into a wheel chair, as promised he was taken to Colonel Andersons room.

Jack was wheeled in and placed closed to the colonels bed. He saw the damage on the colonels face, the colonels body covered by a sheet, but not hiding the cast on his arm. "I'm sorry." Jack said softly to the sleeping figure on the bed. He had screwed up again, and someone else was paying for it.

Jack didn't notice Mia who was asleep in the corner. She hadn't left the bedside the night before. She had to be there, hoping Thomas would wake up soon. She heard someone speaking and opened her tired eyes. When she saw Jack in the wheel chair she sat up. "Jack don't be sorry." She said softly noticing the slight surprise in Jack's features.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice you where here." Jack said turning his head.

"I wouldn't leave this old goat." She smiled at Jack, she could see the guilt in his eyes. "And don't you dare be sorry for one minute. This was not your fault from what I know of the situation it is not your fault. And Thomas wouldn't blame you for one second and you know that. He will be fine. He is just trying to get attention now." She was being strong for Jack, inside she was worried she might lose her love, her husband, and be left alone. She couldn't imagine losing Thomas. She had always wondered how Jack made it through life after losing Teri, but than Jack always seemed to make it never in good condition, but he was a survivor.

Jack smiled it only made him feel guiltier inside, here he was relatively ok and Thomas was in a coma and Mia was trying to comfort him. He should be comforting her, but she was a very strong woman, she had to be to marry Thomas.

Mia moved closer to where Jack was. "You look worse than when I last saw you and I never thought that possible." The last time she had seen him was after Teri died. He had been in horrible shape than, and her heart ached for him even than. She had noticed he always had this quality about him that just made your heart ache for him. He hid so much pain, but sometimes it was just so clear in his features. Even though it was deeply hidden his cold eyes could not hide it.

Jack just laughed at the statement. He had been a master at taking abuse and giving it, had to be in his line of work.

"May I ask you a personal question." Mia knew it would be fine, but she felt in his state she should give him a warning, she had a way of making him tell her what was going on in his head.

"Go ahead you would anyway." Jack knew whatever he said she would continue to ask anyways.

" What do you think of Lisa?"

Damn she went right for the bull's-eye. "She's very nice. Her daughter is very intelligent and a natural born leader by the looks of things." He smiled inside that should put her off, just enough to answer the question, but not give away what he had been toying over since he woke up from the night filled with dreams.

"So she's nice." Mia wasn't biting, she would have made a great interrogator Jack thought to himself. "She sure seems to care about you. She came in with the ambulance and stayed for awhile."

"Yeah she came to my room."

"Did she." Mia's eyebrows raised at this. She knew Lisa from the events she attended, and just from around town. Lisa seemed to like Jack, both of them had a life full of heartbreaks and guilt. "Where are you staying now?" Mia asked letting that part of the conversation drop she would go after it later.

"Lisa asked me to live with her. Insisted really." Jack said not looking Mia in the eyes this would only cause more questions he knew.

"Good I know she'll keep you in line." Mia said with a smile on her face. There was a comfortable silence that filled the room now. Both conscious occupants stared at Thomas each wondering if Thomas would wake up.

Jack broke the silences after awhile, "I'm going to find the people responsible for this, and keep my promise to Thomas."

"What promise is that Jack?" S he didn't know the events of the situation. She knew Thomas had asked Jack to come to Peoria, but that was all.

"Nothing big" Shit Thomas hadn't told her anything. "I'm going to find the people and they will pay for it."

"I know you will Jack." Mia knew better than trying to talk Jack out of it, he would go about it his own way, and no one short of God would be able to stop him.


End file.
